My invention relates to an arrangement for controlling remote apparatus, and particularly to such an arrangement at a control location that repeats commands at periodic intervals.
Remote control apparatus is used extensively at a control location to control apparatus at a remote location. One application for remote control is a radio transmitter and receiver which are placed at a remote location, such as on a mountain top which provides a good antenna site. For efficiency and convenience, the user of the transmitter and receiver is located in an office or home. Such an application requires that the user be connected by a communication line, such as a telephone line, to the remote transmitter and receiver. As known in the art, control of the remote transmitter and receiver is achieved by sending signals from the user or control location to the remote location. Such signals may take various forms, such as voltage pulses or tones. Previously, these signals were transmitted once to provide the control function. Thereafter, the user performed his duties with the assumption that the remote apparatus was performing as initially commanded by the control signals. However, if the communication line was subjected to unknown faults, such as a voltage surge, an open, or extraneous noise, or if there was an unknown power failure, the remote apparatus might thereafter be operating improperly or not operating at all. Hence, the user might erroneously assume that his remote aparatus was operating as originally commanded.
Accordingly, a primary object of my invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement for remote control apparatus.
Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement that periodically repeats the initial command signal selected by a user at a control location for controlling apparatus at a remote location.
Another and more specific object of my invention is to provide a new and improved arrangement for remote control apparatus that assures a user that his original command signal will be repeatedly transmitted to the remote apparatus so that if an unknown fault occurs in the connecting line or at one of the locations, the proper command signal will be transmitted to correct any error which may have occurred because of the fault.